Each manufacturer is obligated to pay for recycling costs only to the level of its annual goal. ( Any thing that exceeds the goal they don’t have to pay for but manufacturers still collect the $25 or $75 at the point of sale. This is what I was told at a meeting discussing the situation) Yet Recycling firms that collect more than that amount receive no payments from the manufacturers. Where is all the money paid at the point of sale? Why is there a cost only to an annual goal when there is a cost with every purchase?

The only questions not answered in this article is: what happens to the money the manufacturer receives that is built in the price of the product, whether or not they are putting a cost for recycling in the cost of the product, what they are actually charging as the cost.

When Best Buy announced it could no longer continue free TV recycling nationwide, which was begun in 2009, company Vice President Laura Bishop said the $25 fee would still not cover the company’s cost of disposal. “Our goal is to break even, and we are not there today,” (I need to know if consumers still pay the $25 or now $75 even though Best Buy is out of the program).

Electronics manufacturers have spent about $100 million nationwide on such programs so far, and appear less than eager to take on more of the bills from CRTs. Will County uses funds from its landfill to pay for Electronic Recycling.

Why isn’t Will County getting money from what was collected from the manufacturer? Where is that money?

Recycling Companies get no money from the manufacturers and need a License to collect Electronic recycling from the State of Illinois that cost $5000. (415 ILCS 150/85)Sec. 85. Electronics Recycling Fund. The Electronics Recycling Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. The Agency shall deposit all registration fees received under this Act into the Fund. All amounts held in the Fund shall be invested at interest by the State Treasurer. All income earned from the investments shall be deposited into the Electronics Recycling Fund no less frequently than quarterly. Pursuant to appropriation, all moneys in the Electronics Recycling Fund may be used by the Agency for its administration of this Act. Any moneys appropriated from the Electronics Recycling Fund, but not obligated, shall revert to the Fund.

Retailers; Meijer, Best Buy, and Walmart do not charge a recycling fee, do not pay a recycling fee to the manufacturer, and can’t say if the price for recycling is included in the price they pay for the electronic device. Best Buy said they were doing a program as a convenience to their customers, but it became to costly and was discontinued.

(415 ILCS 150/40)Sec. 40. Retailer responsibilities. (a) Retailers shall be a primary source of information about end-of-life options to residential consumers of computers, computer monitors, printers, and televisions. At the time of sale, the retailer shall provide each residential consumer with information from the Agency's website that provides information detailing where and how a consumer can recycle a CED or return a CED for reuse.